UCSD will not soon forget the 2005 baseball season, or the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships that took place in Chico, Calif., May 12 through May 14.
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On the final day of the tournament, the Tritons (23-17 CCAA, 33-19 overall) defeated Chico State (24-11 CCAA, 37-12 overall) twice, 5-4 and 7-6, in 11 and 12 innings, respectively, to capture their first-ever CCAA championship.
In the opener of the double-elimination tournament, UCSD fell to Cal Poly Pomona (25-14 CCAA, 29-21 overall), 6-4. Thus, each ensuing game meant possible elimination for the Tritons, but they would not have it.
UCSD downed Cal State San Bernardino (22-17 CCAA, 25-21 overall) in the first elimination game, 3-1, and sent the Coyotes packing. Triton senior ace Logan Boutilier (11-2) pitched seven shutout innings, aided by three double plays to record his single-season UCSD record 11th win. Senior second baseman Ricky Pinocchio, senior first baseman Brian Robinson and senior third baseman Alex Gascon had two hits apiece. Senior closer Shlomo Lipetz recorded the final two outs and stranded the bases full of Coyotes to earn his seventh save of the year.
The Tritons’ second victory of the championship was sweet revenge, as they again squared off against Cal Poly Pomona, this time eliminating the Broncos in high fashion, 8-5. The victory also marked a milestone for UCSD head coach Dan O’Brien, who earned his 200th career victory in his eighth season at the Triton helm.
UCSD junior hurler Byron Grubman (6-3) went 7.1 innings, allowing three runs, for his third-straight win. Gascon and senior designated hitter Joel Clark had three hits apiece, and seven different Tritons tallied RBIs. Junior reliever Matt Sweany threw the last 1.2 innings and stunned the Broncos for his third save of the year.
With one out in the UCSD third, Clark singled. Junior outfielder and CCAA First Team selection Matt Lawson delivered a triple to the left-center gap with two outs, scoring Clark to put UCSD in front. Sophomore catcher David Morehead, another CCAA First Team selection, continued the two-out attack with an RBI single through the left side to push UCSD up, 3-1. Gascon doubled to left-center field, but Morehead was thrown out at the plate. It was ruled that Morehead attempted to roll through the catcher (and not slide), and he was automatically ejected from the game because of league rules.
Robinson led off the Triton fourth with a home run to right field to put UCSD up, 4-1. Pinocchio was first-pitch swinging, hit a double down the left-field line and advanced to third on senior shortstop Keith Hernandez’s ground out to the right side. Senior centerfielder Brad Beltz then singled to right field, scoring Pinocchio for the 5-1 lead. After a wild pitch, Clark doubled down the left-field line, scoring Beltz. After four, the Tritons held a 6-1 lead.
With one out in the sixth, Gascon hit an infield single to third base. Robinson then singled to left center to put two on. Pinocchio came through with the insurance RBI with a single up the middle, scoring Gascon, and Hernandez delivered a single up the middle, scoring Robinson for the 8-1 lead.
Cal Poly Pomona did not go down without a fight. In the Bronco eighth, Matt Lopez led off with a walk and Kevin Falls doubled to deep center. With one out, Jarrod Allen singled to center for two RBIs, making the score 8-3. Cal Poly Pomona’s next batter reached on an error and Marc Evans hit an RBI single to put runners on the corners with the score at 8-4, UCSD. The Broncos added another run on UCSD’s second error of the inning to make the score 8-5.
With the bases loaded and two outs, the Cal Poly Pomona batter flew out to left to strand three.
The victory sent the Tritons to the final day of the CCAA Championships against host Chico State to battle for the title, where UCSD would have to defeat the Wildcats twice to be crowned champion. The Triton-Wildcat matchup did not disappoint. While UCSD and Chico State split their regular-season series with two games apiece, preseason pollsters chose the Wildcats to finish ahead of the Tritons one-two in the conference. But the end results were flipped, with UCSD ultimately coming out on top after 23 innings and more than eight hours of play.
UCSD won the first game, 5-4, in 11 innings. CCAA Tournament MVP Lawson doubled in the 11th frame, scoring junior pinch hitter Damian Fante for the lead and win. Sweany (3-0) earned the win on the mound.
With one out in the first, UCSD tallied the first run when Lawson doubled down the left-field line to score junior leftfielder David Gomez.
In the UCSD second, Robinson singled to left field followed by a single by Hernandez to put two on. A passed ball allowed the runners to move up to second and third. Beltz then hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Robinson for the 2-0 lead.
With one out in the Chico State third, Trevor Weedon and Greg Gonzalez hit back-to-back singles and Jeff Walker walked to load the bases. Ryan Martin then lined a shot right to Triton first baseman Robinson, who made the grab and tagged the runner off first base for the unassisted double play to end the frame.
In the Chico State eighth, Wildcat Chad Nelson delivered the game-tying double, clearing the bases to even the score at 4-4 and sending UCSD’s Lipetz out of the game in favor of Sweany. Chico State’s Justin Jacque singled to right to put runners on the corners with one out still in the inning. UCSD then intentionally walked Gonzalez to set up the force at any base. The strategy paid off as the Hernandez-to-Pinocchio-to-Robinson double play ended the inning with the score tied.
After scoreless ninth and tenth frames, UCSD’s Fante singled with one out and Lawson came up big with his third double of the game to put UCSD back in front for the 5-4 victory.
In the second game, the Tritons loaded the bases with no outs and Gascon delivered the game-winning single, giving UCSD the CCAA title. Triton junior pitcher Jose Navarro, pitching on one day of rest, went 4.1 innings, allowing no runs and two hits.
In the sixth, Chico State capitalized on two UCSD errors and scored three times to take a 5-4 lead.
In the bottom half with one gone, Hernandez singled, his third of the game. Beltz then doubled over the rightfielder’s head, setting up runners on second and third. Clark then lined a single through the left side scoring Hernandez, but Beltz was thrown out at the plate with Clark advancing to second on the throw. Pinch hitter Fante singled up the middle for the go-ahead two-out RBI, scoring Clark. UCSD led 6-5 after six.
In the top of the eighth, Wildcat pinch hitter Jeff Mayberry lined a single to center field, driving in a run with two outs to tie the game, 6-6. With two on and two out, UCSD’s Lipetz entered and walked Walker to load the bases. Triton southpaw Navarro came in to face the lefty, Martin, and froze him with a breaking ball for strike three.
In the bottom of the 12th, Fante was hit in the head by a pitch and Lawson reached base on a fielder’s choice. Morehead then found no-man’s land with a bloop single over second base to load the bases with no outs for Gascon. Gascon lined a single into right field, giving UCSD the CCAA Championship.
The Tritons will await word on their postseason chances for the NCAA West Regional.
